Column: Seminoles back at top of ACC

Florida State's Karlos Williams (9) returns an interception as Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington (13) chases in vain during the second half of the ACC Championship college football game in Charlotte on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Florida State won 21-15.

Associated Press

By Clark Leonard

Published: Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 05:14 PM.

CHARLOTTE — Florida State is the Atlantic Coast Conference champion for the first time since 2005.

That distinction was sealed with the first interception of the season for KarlosWilliams late in the Seminoles’ 21-15 victory against Georgia Tech in Saturday night’s ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium.

“It happened to come at the perfect time,” Williams said.

In a week where defensive coordinator Mark Stoops’ hiring as Kentucky’s coach or injuries could have distracted Florida State, Williams said the Seminoles kept with coach JimboFisher’s mantra of not looking in the rearview mirror.

“We’re home safe now, going to Miami to play in the Orange Bowl,” Williams said.

For the first time since 2000, Florida State (11-2) has won 11 games. In the Orange Bowl, the Seminoles can lay claim to their first 12-win campaign since their 1999 national championship season.

Fisher, in his third year as head coach, said he’s glad his seniors were able to bring an ACC title back to Tallahassee, Fla., after all the questioning they have received about when the program will be “back.” It still came in a game that seemed like a massive mismatch but was up for grabs until Williams’ pick with 60 seconds left.

CHARLOTTE — Florida State is the Atlantic Coast Conference champion for the first time since 2005.

That distinction was sealed with the first interception of the season for KarlosWilliams late in the Seminoles’ 21-15 victory against Georgia Tech in Saturday night’s ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium.

“It happened to come at the perfect time,” Williams said.

In a week where defensive coordinator Mark Stoops’ hiring as Kentucky’s coach or injuries could have distracted Florida State, Williams said the Seminoles kept with coach JimboFisher’s mantra of not looking in the rearview mirror.

“We’re home safe now, going to Miami to play in the Orange Bowl,” Williams said.

For the first time since 2000, Florida State (11-2) has won 11 games. In the Orange Bowl, the Seminoles can lay claim to their first 12-win campaign since their 1999 national championship season.

Fisher, in his third year as head coach, said he’s glad his seniors were able to bring an ACC title back to Tallahassee, Fla., after all the questioning they have received about when the program will be “back.” It still came in a game that seemed like a massive mismatch but was up for grabs until Williams’ pick with 60 seconds left.

Even the strong results this season have left most FSU fans unsatisfied after an upset ACC loss to N.C. State and a rivalry defeat against Florida cost the Seminoles a chance at a national championship.

But Fisher aptly pointed out that Saturday was an important step in rebuilding the winning culture at FSU, which has now won at least 10 games twice in three seasons after doing so once in Bobby Bowden’s final nine.

“You’ve got to win a conference championship before you can win a national championship,” Fisher said.